YWCA names new executive director to succeed Linda Cavaioli

A woman with dark curly hair wears purple lipstick, large pearl necklaces, and a patterned top standing on a neighborhood street.

Photo I Courtesy of YWCA Central Massachusetts Deborah Hall, executive director of YWCA Central Massachusetts

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By Sam Bonacci

YWCA Central Massachusetts announced on Wednesday that Deborah Hall will be the nonprofit's new executive director, replacing Linda Cavaioli who is retiring in June after 30 years.

“I am excited to embark on this new journey. The YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women is in alignment with my life’s work. I look forward to working with community partners to continue making great strides toward a more just society for everyone,” Hall said in the release.

Hall has deep roots in the Worcester community, according to the YWCA. She is the director of domestic violence services at YWCA Central Massachusetts and previously was director of supportive services at Worcester housing nonprofit RCAP Solutions. She served as a board member of the YWCA from 2016 to 2018.

Hall was a commissioner on the Advisory Committee on the Status of Women in the City of Worcester from 2015 to 2020. She is a board member of Boston anti-domestic violence nonprofit Jane Doe Inc. She is the founder and chair of the Worcester Black History Project.

“I am excited with the appointment of Deb Hall and know the YWCA will be well positioned for the future. Ms. Hall knows well the needs of the people we serve: parents and children who rely on our day care; survivors of domestic violence and homelessness who need shelter or assistance with legal issues; and people who use our programs and facilities to improve their education, health, and wellbeing. The lives of our clients are often beset by stress and economic hardship, and Ms. Hall fully understands what it takes for our staff to respond to their needs, including collaborating on their behalf with local agencies and community partners," Cavaioli said in the announcement.

Before coming to Worcester, Hall was Domestic Violence Program Manager at Crossroads in Providence from 2016 to 2019 and before that worked in Kansas City, Mo. and St. Louis, where her responsibilities included shelter manager at the Rose Brooks Center and client advocate supervisor in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Hall holds a bachelor's degree in political science and African-American Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master's degree in nonprofit management from Worcester State University.